Kirksey Architecture held a meeting amongst locals last week to get feedback on features of the new Exall Park Recreation Center. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
Exall Park Recreation Center in the Bryan Place neighborhood is getting replaced, and locals put a community gathering space and weight room at the top of the programming priorities list.
Neighbors gathered at the existing recreation center last week and gave their two cents on what they’d like to see in the new space. In addition to a community gathering space and a weight room with free weights, machines and cardio equipment, support was significant for exercise classes (pilates and yoga), a kitchen, outdoor gathering areas, a senior space and pickleball. High priorities in the conceptual sense were security, natural lighting, access to outdoors and views to the exterior.
The new rec center will be in the same place as the current one, between Live Oak and Bryan Streets on Adair Street, but with over three-times more square footage. The current center will be demolished completely to make way for the new one. No existing outdoor amenities are expected to be taken away, and tree removal will be kept to an as-needed minimum.
Exall Park’s new recreation center is funded by the 2024 bond that was passed by voters. In August, Dallas City Council authorized a professional services contract with Kirksey Architecture for architectural and engineering services for no more than about $1.6 million.
“This is one of the smallest, oldest rec centers; it has no gym, as I’m sure you’re all familiar with, unlike most of the other rec centers in the city,” District 14 Council member Paul Ridley said during the community meeting on Oct. 28. “So we have the money; now, we need the ideas that you are hopefully going to provide to our designers from Kirksey Architecture.” (And there are supposed to be more input meetings in the future.)
For the Aug. 13 City Council meeting, the schedule called for the design to be finished by June with construction to start December 2026 and finish by March 2028. At the more recent community input gathering, District 14 Park and Recreation Board member Rudy Karimi said a ribbon cutting may take place around 2027 or 2028.
“This has actually been, believe it or not, a decades long journey,” Karimi said during the meeting. “It started probably in the mid 2000s with some advocacy.”
Both Ridley and Karimi signaled support for a senior center, and Karimi also spoke in favor of an activity space for teenagers.
“I’d like to see audio, video tech rooms for teens who maybe don’t want to just lift weights and shoot hoops all day, really something for everyone,” Karimi said.
Some discussion sparked when the architects brought up the need to expand the parking lot per the City’s code. One neighbor explained that there has been a history of parking at the park turning into a place for sex work and drug activity to occur. Then, another neighbor said more parking should be added since the current lot is often full. More details on parking will come up at future meetings.
Neighbors who attended the feedback meeting for the new Exall Park Recreation Center were also asked to look at pictures and flag them with a blue/green sticky note if they were in favor of seeing something like that at the new rec center or pink if they were opposed. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
Architects took the meeting attendees through a series of exercises meant to get an idea of what they want the new rec center to be, including asking a series of questions. Here are some of them below:
Kirksey Architecture: What will make this project a success?
Attendees:
- Place to socialize and exercise
- State-of-the-art gym
- On time and under budget
- Pickleball
- Something for all ages
- League play
- Able to be maintained long-term
- Affordable to access and no complicated payment structure
- HVAC system to make gym cooler than other rooms
- Solar panels on the roof
- Walkability
- Blend in with the park
- Programming during after-work hours
- Spaces for seniors to play games
KA: How can the overall design of the building promote a healthy community environment?
Attendees:
- Multigenerational friendly
- Good views
- Smooth ingress and egress
- Organic colors and materials
- Rooftop community garden and event space
KA: How can the exterior area around the building contribute to the success of building?
Attendees:
- Pollinator garden
- Interactive spaces
- Rainwater harvesting
- Safety exterior lighting but not too lit up
- Switching the building location and parking lot
- Native plants and trees
- Walkways to amenities
- Recycling options
- No loitering
- A security system
KA: How can this project celebrate the history of the park, the neighborhood and the city?
Attendees:
- Large old photos on display
- Local artwork
- Statuary
- Honor historical figures, diversity and architectural development of neighborhood
- Mural that shows evolution of neighborhood
- Sponsored bricks, some preserved from current building
